The United Heirs
by LizzyTheCat2000
Summary: The founders know some of what is to pass, they know of Tom Riddle and the threat he poses to the Wizarding world, in short they pick their heirs. Those that will share their talents and will help Harry Potter in his fight against Voldemort, their power and determination the only thing that can save Wizarding Britain as they know it.
1. Chosen

Helga Hufflepuff sat on her throne, thinking quietly, not moving or reacting to anything the others did. Not even when Salazar started up his nonsense blood purity- though she did mentally let out a snort, because, really did the man want to leave the muggle born wizards and witches out there in muggle society with no control over their powers?

They then started up their bickering Rowena asking if they should leave the future to an untrained uncontrollable Tom Riddle in the future then, considering he was a half-blood. Salazar stammered and stuttered, trying to think up a half way believable theory or idea.

"Quiet." she said, her mind still racing with the future she had seen.

They all turned to face her, slightly shocked at her abrupt manner so different from how she usually was and acted. But to be blunt the situation warranted it, they had to listen to her sometimes didn't they? She too had had helped in the creation of Hogwarts.

"We must do something."

It was then that Godric rushed into hall, out of breath and puffing loudly "I -need... to help...Harry...Potter, he can't do it...by himself." he clutched at his chest, still not quite recovered from his unwanted exercise.

Helga raised her thin eyebrows pointedly, crooking a chubby finger in his direction "Exactly. We will each choose somebody, an heir of sorts, our chosen pupil from our house to help him. Without them, Harry Potter will not be able to defeat him."

Rowena looked at her curiously, secretly analysing the situation, she studied Helga openly "And with these 'heirs' of sorts I suppose we should do what exactly? The only thing I can think of presently is we gift them with our elemental favourite and our particular, mine being mind reading, Godric's Telekinesis, Salazar's charm speak and your healing skills bringing people back from the brink of death? Correct me if I'm wrong." Rowena eyed her with her midnight orbs.

Helga held herself high. "I think you've got the gist of it, though Godric how exactly did you know about Harry Potter, we only knew of Tom Riddle and the prophetical spheres which do indeed have a Potter on them- no first name though- wait? Did one appear?"

He nodded excitedly, "Yes...! That's what you all need to know, another reason why I ran here! There are five of them, all with names on them, in different scrawls on like Salazar's feminine swirls and one each personal to you. Two are written in my handwriting... Though they have been locked up for some time, it was only when Thomas checked them he practically had a fit on the spot." he puffed his chest out in a self appreciating manner when mentioning two were in his writing. They already knew Potter was.

Just not the other.

Salazar took some interest then shaking out of his slump, "What names were on them? We haven't even figured it all out yet?"

Godric seemingly wracked his brains, furrowing his bushy eyebrows before clearing his throat at Salazar "On yours was a Draco Malfoy, on Helga's there was a Cedric Diggory, on Rowena's there was a Luna Lovegood and on mine there was a Hermione Granger."

Helga looked at them in turn, Rowena's stony and beautiful face; her lips pursed, Godric- his face flushed- grinning stupidly thinking all their work was done, Salazar's eyes flitting from side to side as if trying to think if he had heard of any of the last names before...

"All is not yet sorted, even I can figure that out. We may know who has been chosen -not matter their blood or natural talent- but that doesn't mean we have nothing left to do. We need to plan more."

Rowena smiled prettily and fleetingly. "We are adults upon the age of seventeen, I think we should give them a year previous to train though, so sixteen would be a good time to gift them with these talents? That is dependent on when Tom Riddle returns to haunt them, they could already be past the age meaning them get them instantaneously or they could get them half way through his reign of terror... That we cannot predict."

Helga nodded, "I agree with the age of sixteen, though if they are in immediate danger from him they should receive them early- say he finds out the names and decides to attack... when they are of the age say thirteen and they have a momentary blast of magic- protecting them so they can learn."

Salazar ran a hand through his greying hair "Okay I am following, so each of our so called heirs get our talent and elemental favourite, yes? Their powers will obviously be boosted beyond that of normal, what if they are already rather powerful? What if we are not gifting the future with this?"

Godric slapped him heartily on the shoulder "I know your worries mate, but honestly I think its our only option, the only option likely to succeed."

"Ahem!" Helga huffed, they really needed to sort it out as quickly as they possibly could. The sooner it was sorted the sooner Helga could relax and properly ponder the whole horrid affair, questioning Rowena's thoughts on it all.

* * *

Cedric Diggory scrambled backwards as a knarled looking man- who seemed old beyond his years-, he watched as they thrust their wand forwards rotund arm dripping dark glistening blood which peeked out from the ragged beige jacket he wore.

He could feel his heart beating noisily, so loud he was sure that Harry, poor fourteen year old Harry- surely braver than he would ever be- could hear it. Could hear his panicked breathing as he scooted behind the closest crumbling gravestone as a green curse whizzed past his left ear, so close to comfort that he lost control of his hands, falling backwards cracking his thick skull on his only protection.

He wanted to scream, wanted to yell out obscenities.

Just do _anything_.

But he didn't. He stayed stock still behind his coverage, not moving a single muscle, his breathing was strained, as quiet as he could possibly get, survival the foremost thing on his mind. Not once checking on Harry who was more defenceless than himself.

There was obviously good reason for the hat not opting to put Cedric in Gryffindor. It truly did know their character he thought as ruefully as he could given the situation at hand. Cedric itched to run a hand through his hair which was matted with drying blood. He knew he couldn't move though.

As he fought the feeling again it was in a way fortunate that when he let out a half hearted sneeze that He-who-must-not-be-named had awoken, well more like come back to life, heart pulsing and whatnot.

So that as he sneezed then and not when he had heard a cauldron bubbling manically (if cauldrons could boil manically...) it was him who gave Cedric full attention, noticing his liveliness for somebody supposedly dead.

The majority of dead people did not sneeze.

Anyway it was then that he pointed his wand at him, black robes swaying and he stayed eyes wide open, staring, waiting to watch his death hit him, face it front on, but he didn't. The curse was uttered, the curse flying at him- zooming towards him.

It just didn't hit him.

Cedric didn't know how or why or even what had happened. It just did, there was a resounding boom as he flew backwards, pain enthralling his every limb so that he screamed till he was hoarse for the magic racing through his veins, Harry took the initiative to Accio the port key that had brought them to the graveyard and clung to Cedric's aching arm.

They popped out of the havoc ensuing graveyard and appeared back on the Quidditch grounds, Cedric's pain finally subduing- ebbing away into nothingness. The stands towered above them, shadowing the grounds he and Harry appeared upon.

"Help!" Harry yelled, his voice hoarse. Cedric tried to match his volume and failed his voice barely sounding against the fierce wind, and the stampede of feet as a fifteen year old Hermione Granger stormed over to where they were situated, almost knocking poor Harry over with her worried hug.

She released him from their hug before eying where Cedric lay critically, "What happened? Oh, Harry! Madam Pomfrey, their alive, they're alive, both of them!" she yelled to all of the stock still crowd, gawping undecidedly and apparently unsure of what to do.

Luckily, though Madame Pomfrey bustled onto the pitch eager for another patient to heal... only to find him completely healed. She turned, making a tutting noise as she did so "Miss Granger what is this about him being injured? There is no wounds of the sort! Mr Potter on the other hand,"

Cedric, pushed himself onto his elbows, confused at the motherly woman, he had basically head butted a grave stone! Of course he was going to have some kind of injury, it was impossible not too!, He went to feel his head but Granger beat him to it, touching and poking the back of his head where the majority of matted dried blood was... only to come away with nothing.

Her beautiful face twisted into a confused expression "There really is nothing... except when you both appeared blood was still dripping from the wound... look right there. A little pool."

Cedric turned to where she pointed and noticed that she was indeed right, just like everybody always said she was. Not that it really reassured him with what she was insinuating, but what was that? That he healed of his own accord?


	2. A change in destiny

Cedric groaned non-committedly, his head was pounding, like there was a thumping party raging in his head- pressuring him and twisting his thoughts. Not only his thoughts but his memories. Half of his memories couldn't possibly be anywhere near the truth, miles away from the thick grey line of honesty. How could any of his meagre magic fend of he-who-must-not-be-named for more than a millisecond, it just wasn't feasible.

By which he meant that his bellow and blast of...accidental magic? (there was nothing else it could be...right?) had thrown the luminous mess that was he-who-must-not-be-named backwards, cracking his body against an ancient family tomb- not killing him, only delaying him. Though that delay had saved him and Harry from immediate death, or from pain filled hours of gut wrenching torture- not that Cedric thought any Death eater cared in any kind of way whether Cedric died or was submitted to torture.

Except with the ending of their chapter- his unexpected burst possibly saving his and Harry's lives, letting Harry to deftly grab the port key and vanish before the all too eager Death eaters eyes, the excitement previously shining in their eyes likely disappearing as their torture victims left. Leaving them with their Dark lord. Facing his wrath without his one of his many hatreds. Only Harry more defined amongst the sea of faces he saw in his nightmares.

Harry having previously led to his down fall- along with the help of Lily Potter and James Potter- without James, Lily wouldn't have been able to cast the charm and save Harry. Giving him some form of protection... not that anybody knew the full extent. Not many had given it much thought previously- there had never been any need he had been vanquished. Or so they had wrongly assumed.

Now he was back.

But first, Cedric would only rightly believe his memories and trust his brain after talking to Harry and maybe the other contestants would remember something dodgy within the maze? _Maybe_ him and Harry were the only ones who made it out alive and the other two were lying motionless on a hospital bed- waiting to be checked over by Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore.

Okay, that thought might have been more than a little ludicrous, but anything was possible his dad always liked to quote. Professor Snape might disagree though in comparison to his potions skills apparently _none_ of his class were anywhere close to the skills of a Miss Hermione Granger who he had grudgingly named as Hogwarts best potions pupil, likely within many years- he had a strange expression on his face when mentioning that though Cedric shuddered and tried to repress the memory of Snape's weak half smile still the only smile anybody had seen on Snape. But yes embarrassingly for everybody older and supposedly wiser and despite only nearing the end of her fourth year, Granger remained best student.

He had heard rumours of her brewing a Polyjuice potion in her second year. Not even at the end, near the beginning, she had been one of the students lying stock still- petrified four pretty much four months.

Cedric cleared his crackling throat; he was anxious for some pumpkin juice but knew his curiosity needed to be quenched first. "Mad- Madam Pom-(his voice broke weakly-well, weaker than he already was at the time)-frey, what- what exactly happened? Why am I in the infirmary, you said there was nothing wrong with me..."

The matronly elder woman turned from where she was caring to somebody groaning in pain two beds down from him. "Oh! Mr Diggory, you're awake now! Good gracious I thought it would be weeks longer you would rest! Well, Miss Granger was absolutely adamant that you had ben bleeding along with Mr Potter- she is very observant and there was a small pool of blood as it turns out...Anyway! We looked at her memories and Mr Potters... it turned out she was right and you were injured, though there was no hint on yourself indicating you had been hurt apart from the dried blood. There was something unlocked with that night He-who-must-not-be-named returned (GULP) and there is rather a lot Professor Dumbledore would like to talk with you about... I feel as if I am not permitted to say anymore than that..."

She bobbed at him, fussing about him a little and offering a pint of pumpkin juice until another thought exploded within him "Wait... Madam Pomfrey you mentioned how I had not been out for weeks like expected but you didn't mention exactly how long I was out of it...?"

She gulped visibly before answering but pointedly ignoring his intense gaze. "You have been out for five and a half days, no more no less. That is all Mr Diggory."

He stammered back, barely decipherable with his stuttering "F-F-...I...fi...ve d-d-days, tha-th...thahat a-ach-all?" he choked on the words, trying to get onto to the next without finishing the word he was on. Like a starved person eating for the first time in days. Trying too much too quickly.

Her expression softened slightly from her hard exterior, "Yes, I'm sorry Mr Diggory but you should really have a little more rest before Dumbledore bombards you with questions about your ordeal..." she harrumphed at the end, obviously not pleased with the idea of her patients being interrogated in blunt terms. There wasn't a lighter word that came to Cedric's mind. Nothing popped up.

Cedric sighed painfully and ran a hand through his greasy hair which he admittedly cringed at (What he had been out for more than five days!) before zoning in on Harry, fiddling with his still singed hands and looking most forlorn, likely because his friends weren't allowed to see him until after their lessons finished.

He whispered loudly in is croaky voice _"Harry, HARRY!"_ Harry turned confusedly and soon let out a relieved sigh once seeing Cedric sitting up and able. Apparently there had been some worry... Cedric pursed his lips subtly but as he had Harrys attention (finally) he would ask about what happened in his rest.

"Harry, what happened after our arrival? How are you?"

Harry smiled faintly- not convincing him of any kind of positivity though Cedric supposed he may be more open to his best friends instead of a sixth year who he was competing against in a competition many had died in.

"I'm doing as well as expected to be frank- well actually that's a lie, their all surprised I'm still sane. You too... though they think you were in shock... with how you raved about being injured with nothing wrong with you physically or a unforgivable curse..."

Cedric groaned dramatically "UGH! I wasn't _too_ bad was I?"

Harry grinned then, his eyes properly lighting up, sparkling emerald. "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell, what do you mean when you say TOO bad? You may have frothed at the mouth a tiny bit but Mione backed you up so they took some kind of notice. Good thing too she's always right." he ended with a sniff indignant that anyone would think Granger wrong.

Cedric merely raised his eyebrows before continuing the conversation, "So, what happened after I was out? Nothing too big I hope."

Harry chuckled in a muffled manner, in a seemingly bitter way if Cedric put too much thought into it... "What do you mean by too big? Does Mad-eye Moody turning out to be Death eater trying to kill me and coincidentally putting my name in the cup as part of that plan to bring back Voldemort, I'm only slightly confused why Dumbledore didn't notice what was up with his dear friend. That he wasn't actually his 'dear friend' but a Death eater using polyjuice potion... was that too much?"

He stammered. "Uh...really? That much happened?"

Harry snapped back, enraged that Cedric may doubt his sanity and judgement. _"YES! It did happen okay? Sorry but I thought that considering he tried to kill you too that you might understand, sorry if I mis-calculated!"_

"No! I was just taken aback really, are you better now though? I mean we had just gotten back and then presumably Mad-eye who wasn't Mad-eye tried to kill you? Is that right? Or am I still missing something?"

Harry simply nodded decisively before saying not intentionally snidely, "Maybe you should get some rest, you have huge bags under your eyes."

Cedric complied to the younger boys request/demand and drifted off to sleep almost as soon as his head hit the soft silky pillow beneath him.

Though time did pass quickly, technically though that was due to his three and a half hour nap which he awoke from with Dumbledore standing at the end of his bed. Only slightly incredibly creepy(!)

"...Hello Sir?"

"Hello Mr Diggory, it seems we have much to discuss, within silencing charm boundaries and your parents will be present during this time. I hope this is all satisfactory?"

Cedric was completely at a loss; what was the man twittering on about? He supposed he should just find out... he pushed the thought 'curiosity killed the cat' out of his head. That would most definitely NOT be helpful.

"Yes, that's all okay... what is this about sir?"

"Ahem... first you might want a chat with your parents, or am I mistaken?"

"Well to be honest my curiosity is at its peak, so is my energy I suggest that getting onto the point would be best. I'm at my sharpest so it will be easier for me to follow as of the moment."

His Head teacher bobbed his head in his direction before beckoning to two shadows behind the cheerfully patterned curtains surrounding his 'prison' or perhaps a better word for it with less negativity would be just simply, bed.

His parents entered their wardened off area, beams replacing their worried grimaces almost instantly when they laid eyes on him, clearly in a much better state then when they last saw him. They were reassured as far as Cedric could tell, which meant what Dumbledore had to say obviously hadn't travelled along to them. Yet.

They would all soon find out.

Find out what the big deal was.

Dumbledore practically twinkled at his parents, there was just no other way to describe other than _twinkling_. Then again Cedric had never been particularly imaginative with his writing, with no ache to think up better words to sum something up. Being rather blunt and upfront about things... though letting people down gently in a sense with his Hufflepuff honesty.

"I suppose I should start on the big change in our shrinking world. I hope Cedric, that you remember the blast of magic you faced when... Voldemort attempted to kill you. That was I'm afraid to say a one time only affair, a fluke of sorts. That burst of magic came from you and with the return of Voldemort your magic was evolving but his final push at trying to kill you brought it all at once- instead of by the morning after. To say it without any kind of illusion Cedric my boy you are the Heir of Hufflepuff, Helga 'chose' you as a true Hufflepuff to help Harry Potter in his quest against Voldemort. You were there your full magical potential being let rip if he returned. They only had a limited amount of knowledge of the future you see."

His father recovered first, always eager to put him up on a pedestal "What do you mean exactly? That our line is descended from Helga Hufflepuff? But surely that is the Smiths, there is a rumoured descendent in Harry Potters year, is there not?" his tone turned puzzled, not entirely following, obviously not quite as on the ball as he had originally thought when first piping up.

Dumbledore giggled, freaking Cedric out for the second time within ten minutes - the first having been when Cedric woke to him standing at the end of his bed - he gave him a weirded out glance before turning to analyse his mothers reactions. After all his mother had been a Slytherin student through and through, what was her take on it? Unfortunately it seemed as if all she would do for now was purse her lipsticked mouth and come to her conclusion with further evidence.

Dumbledore cleared his throat- once more becoming professional before saying, "No, I'm not saying that you are actually blood related to Helga Hufflepuff herself, or even related by marriage. What I'm ACTUALLY saying is that you Cedric are the truest Hufflepuff to walk through these very doors, that you have been chosen as the Hufflepuff heir to aid Harry Potter and our failing ministry to defeat Voldemort. Your powers are heightened and from the letter that was handed to me by the portrait of Abraxas Malfoy the previous Head teacher, the letter has been handed down from Head teacher to Head teacher for centuries on end, he was handing it to me as it stared to glow - indicating that it was time. Time to find out what was happening."

Cedric felt like he was missing half the pieces to the 10,000 piece puzzle, "But sir, are you trying to say that I'm the true Hufflepuff heir and that I have some kind of unleashed power? And if anything your saying isn't complete nonsense then are there other heirs... Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin?" thinking that his abrupt manner of speaking was fair enough considering he had held a _Death eater_ who basically orchestrated the entire affair and was responsible for his attempted murder and the return of Voldemort. Dumbledore had known Mad-eye Moody for decades... how could he not recognise him?

Surely there would be a better method then just keeping him under his watchful gaze? Something Dumbledore over a century old could come up with. He was after all referred to as pretty much the most powerful wizard alive. Besides He-who-must-not-be-named; that was given grudgingly though...

Dumbledore coughed discreetly "Yes, that's true enough though at the time being you are the only heir with your powers activated... You will meet the others within time. At the time being we have decided you along with a select few will be staying at a secure house over the summer. To learn your powers and to bond with your fellow heirs. That is of course if you accept it all. Though I warn you it will be a tricky road ahead if you do not learn your limits and strength."

Cedric was bewildered but managed to slip out, "I accept your terms, but if you may sir I would really like a nice long chat with my parents. I think you can guess we have rather a lot to discuss."

Dumbledore smiled wryly, "Of course."


End file.
